Turkey's governing party names Abdullah Gül as presidential candidate
{{date|April 24, 2007}}

[[Image:Abdullah Gül (Brasília, 19.1.2005).jpeg|thumb|right|[[w:Abdullah Gül|Abdullah Gül]] in [[Brazil]] in 2005 {{Image source|Jose Cruz/ABr}}]]
[[w:Abdullah Gül|Abdullah Gül]], current deputy prime minister and foreign minister of [[Turkey]], has been named as the new presidential candidate by his party, the [[w:Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP).

In Turkey, the parliament votes to elect the new [[w:President of Turkey|President of Turkey]]. The AKP has 353 of the 550 seats in [[w:Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Grand National Assembly of Turkey]]. While Gül may not get elected in the first or second round, when a two-thirds majority is needed, their votes are enough to elect the new president at the third or fourth rounds of the election process, when a simple majority is needed. The first round will take place on Friday.

[[w:Prime Minister of Turkey|Prime Minister]] [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]]  announced Gül's selection on Tuesday. The decision comes in the wake of a very large demonstration aimed at dissuading Erdoğan from running himself. Erdoğan said that Gül was "the person who emerged at the end of our evaluations as the candidate to become Turkey's 11th president."

Both the current president, [[w:Ahmet Necdet Sezer|Ahmet Necdet Sezer]], and the influential head of the [[w:Turkish Armed Forces|Turkish Armed Forces]], [[w:Yaşar Büyükanıt|General Yaşar Büyükanıt]] have stressed that the new president must defend Turkey's secular values. To that end Gül said: "the president must be loyal to secular principles... The president must be bound by the basic principles of the constitution... If I am elected I will act accordingly."

The main opposition party, the [[w:Republican People's Party (Turkey)|Republican People's Party]] (CHP), hinted that it may nominate its own candidate to challenge Gül.

==Related news==
*{{wikinews|title=Pro-secular Turks rally against Erdogan's possible presidential candidacy|date=April 15, 2007}}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6587061.stm
|title=Turkey 'must have secular leader'
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=April 24, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2464122220070424
|title=Turkish formin picked as president candidate
|author=Hidir Goktas and Paul de Bendern
|pub=Reuters
|date=April 24, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2455729,00.html
|title=Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül to Run for President
|author=
|pub=Deutsche Welle
|date=April 24, 2007}}

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[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Turkey]]
[[Category:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]]
[[Category:Turkish Grand National Assembly]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Abdullah Gül]]

[[fr:Turquie : l'AKP désigne Abdullah Gül comme candidat à l'élection présidentielle]]
Abdullah Gül in Brazil in 2005 
Abdullah Gül, current deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Turkey, has been named as the new presidential candidate by his party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

In Turkey, the parliament votes to elect the new President of Turkey. The AKP has 353 of the 550 seats in Grand National Assembly of Turkey. While Gül may not get elected in the first or second round, when a two-thirds majority is needed, their votes are enough to elect the new president at the third or fourth rounds of the election process, when a simple majority is needed. The first round will take place on Friday.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  announced Gül's selection on Tuesday. The decision comes in the wake of a very large demonstration aimed at dissuading Erdoğan from running himself. Erdoğan said that Gül was "the person who emerged at the end of our evaluations as the candidate to become Turkey's 11th president."

Both the current president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and the influential head of the Turkish Armed Forces, General Yaşar Büyükanıt have stressed that the new president must defend Turkey's secular values. To that end Gül said: "the president must be loyal to secular principles... The president must be bound by the basic principles of the constitution... If I am elected I will act accordingly."

The main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), hinted that it may nominate its own candidate to challenge Gül.

fr:Turquie : l'AKP désigne Abdullah Gül comme candidat à l'élection présidentielle
Politics and conflicts Elections Europe Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Turkish Grand National Assembly Asia Abdullah Gül